Acne/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby A boy, Tim, is in the bathroom, examining a pimple on his cheek. A robot, Moby, joins him. Both of their faces are reflected in the mirror. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Leave me alone. Besides, everybody gets zits. Moby hands Tim an envelope. Tim reads from a typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, Help! Yesterday I noticed a small bump on my chin. Now, I have a huge pimple on my forehead. Do these things go away? From, Dana (Wilmington, Delaware). Don't freak out, Dana. Most of us have to deal with zits at some time. Have you seen my cheek? Moby shakes his head no. TIM: Anyway, these nasty bumps are a nuisance, but acne is very common. It's actually considered a normal part of puberty. But I know that doesn't help when you're looking at a big pimple in the mirror. What does help is learning about what causes these little monsters and the things that you can do to take care of your skin. An image shows a close-up of a patch of skin. TIM: Everybody has hair all over their skin, even if you can hardly see it. Acne occurs when the hair follicles, or pores, get clogged with oil. Skin has oil glands called sebaceous glands that produce an oil called sebum that lubricates hair and skin. Sometimes a gland will produce too much sebum. If the pore gets clogged with oil and dead skin cells, a zit forms. An animation shows a cross-section of hair growing from skin, oil being released from the sebaceous gland and traveling through the pore, and a zit forming. TIM: You may have noticed that there's more than one type of zit. Whiteheads happen when a pore gets clogged but stays closed. Pressure causes the skin to get red and raised, with a white tip that holds in the oil. An image shows a whitehead forming on skin. TIM: If a pore gets clogged up but stays open, the surface can darken into a blackhead. Blackheads aren't bumps, but you can see them if you look close. The whitehead is replaced by many small blackheads. TIM: A plain old pimple is a red bump caused by bacteria and dead skin cells getting under the skin's surface. The blackheads are replaced by a pimple. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Good question, Moby. TIM: Puberty causes your body to produce lots of new hormones. An image shows an outline of a female teenager filling up with hormones. TIM: Certain hormones tell the sebaceous glands to make more oil, and sometimes the glands become overactive. That's why trying to scrub the oil off your face won't work. It happens from the inside out. An animation shows what happens when the glands are overactive. TIM: Dana, here are a few tips for dealing with acne. First, most acne clears up after puberty, so you won't be stuck with it forever. A clock appears and illustrates the passage of time. TIM: Wash your face twice a day with mild soap and water to keep it clean. An image shows a water faucet running. TIM: Use oil-free sunscreen. An image shows a bottle of oil-free sunscreen. TIM: Many over-the-counter products from your local drugstore can help, too. Images show anti-acne medications. TIM: Try not to pick or pop zits. I know. Everyone says that, and people still do it. It can cause scars that won't disappear. And popping them can cause oil to spread and make more zits. Tim reaches up and squeezes the zit. A large red X appears over him. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Right. If acne gets really bad, there are special skin doctors called dermatologists who can help. Acne doesn't have to make you miserable. A silly old pimple is no reason not to have fun. MOBY: Beep. The pimple on Tim's cheek has turned into a whitehead. Moby hands him a wacky hat, which he puts on his head. TIM: Thanks, Moby. Nobody will notice that big whitehead now. MOBY: Beep. Category:BrainPOP Transcripts Category:BrainPOP Health Transcripts